Mixing and sound baffle assembly for gaseous fluid systems



w. E. SMITH 3,507,356

MIXING AND SOUND BAFFLE ASSEMBLY FORGASEOUS FLUID SYSTEMS April 21, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1967 FIG.2

INVENT R MAL/HM 1E" Sew/77y 67 5M ATTORNEYS A ril 21, 1970 3,507,356

MIXING AND SOUND BAFFLEASSEMBLY FOR GASEOUSFLUID SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 22. 1967 w. E. SMITH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M/lLL/AM E Ski/77y BYL;

Z6; /VML AETORNEY5 United States Patent 3,507 356 MIXING AND SOUND BfAFFLE ASSEMBLY FOR GASEOUS FLUID SYSTEMS William E. Smith, Charlotte, N.C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Aeronca, Inc., Middletown, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 669,765 Int. Cl. F01n 1/10 U.S. Cl. 18150 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air mixing and attenuating duct arrangement for mixing cool and heated air and having at least two sets of oppositely and angularly disposed passageways so that air passing therethrough is given a twirling motion and is mixed.

This invention relates to gaseous fluid systems and more particularly to a fluid mixing and sound bafiling assembly for air conditioning systems.

In heating, air conditioning and like fluid systems of the relatively high pressure type, it is well known to supply regulated amounts of heated and cooled (either fresh or recirculated) air to the area to be cooled, heated, or conditioned. In such systems, however, it has been found that the cooled and heated air does not always mix properly to give the most efficient operation and that the mixing operation is accompanied by an undesirable noise or sound level.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a baflie and deflector assembly for assisting in the mixing of the air and in the deadening or attenuating of sound.

Another object of the invention is to provide a baflie and deflector structure in which the air is given a twirling motion as it leaves the mixer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mixing device for fluids, such as air, in which objectionable or undesirable noises and sounds are absorbed and deadened with the mixer.

In one aspect of the invention, the mixing and attenuating device comprises a generally rectangular section of duct work having its opposite upstream and downstream ends open and having its four interior walls lined with a suitable sound absorbing and deadening material. Positioned within the duct section are two sets of angularly disposed partitions or walls defining a plurality of angularly disposed passageways. One set of partitions and passageways extends from left to right, the other set from right to left, and the two sets are juxtapositioned and separated to lie one above the other by an intermediate partition or wall. Both the angularly arranged and separating partitions are preferably composed of a sound absorbing or deadening material such as that of the duct liners.

In another aspect of the invention, the entrance to certain of the angularly disposed passageways may be blocked by baflies or walls preventing or assisting in the prevention of dead-air spaces within the partition structure.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view showing one form of the mixer and attenuating assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

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FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the fluid flow through the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a broken perspective view of a modified mixer and attenuator assembly having baflies or walls assisting in the prevention of dead-air spaces;

FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an airflow diagram for the structure of FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a duct member 10 having an outer sheath of rigid or semi-rigid metallic material 12 and an inner liner of sound-absorbing material 14. Positioned within the duct member 10 are two sets of angularly disposed partitions or walls 16, 18, 20 and 22, and 24, 26, 28 and 30 transposed one above the other and separated by a wall or partition 32. The partitions 16, 18, 20 and 22 extend in a left to right direction from the upstream side of duct member 10 to provide air passageways or ducts 34, 36 and 38. The partitions 24, 26, 28 and 30 extend in a right to left direction to provide air passageways or ducts 40, 42 and 44. Preferably the entire partition structure is made from a sound-absorbing material so as to attenuate or deaden the mixing sound.

One type of fluid (for example, cool air) is introduced into the passageways 34, 36 and 38 and another type (for example, heated air) is introduced into passageways 40, 42 and 44. The two types are mixed and given a twirling motion as they leave the passageways, as illustrated in FIG. 3. A more perfect mixture is thus obtained, and noise is attenuated or deadened by the liner and partition structure. The entire partition structure may be molded or formed in one piece, and the ends of the respective angularly disposed partition members preferably terminate flush with the outer walls of the outermost partitions 16, 22, 24 and 30, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

A modified version of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The outer duct member 10 and liner 12 are the same as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The upper partitions 50 and 52, forming ducts 64 and 66, correspond to the partitions 16 to 22 of FIGS. 1 to 3 except that they extend in opposite angular directions. The partitions 54 and 56 likewise correspond to the partitions 24 to 30 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, except that they also extend in opposite angular directions, thereby illustrating that the particular angular direction of the upper and lower ducts is immaterial so long as they are opposite. Also, there may be two, three or more partitions in each upper and lower main duct section.

FIGS. 4 to 6 further illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which bafiie members 60 and 62 partially close the intake openings of fluid passageways or ducts 64 and 70 to eliminate or reduce the dead-air spaces 72 and 74 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The airflow through FIGS. 4 and 5 is illustrated by the arrows and is further shown in FIG. 6. Here again, it will be evident that the air is given a twirling as well as a mixing motion.

What is claimed is:

1. A mixing assembly for air conditioning, heating and like systems which comprises a duct member having generally flat top, bottom and two sides, with the upstream and downstream ends of said duct being open, a partition for dividing said duct member into two separate upper and lower sections, one of said sections having a plurality of passages extending angularly from the upstream to the downstream ends thereof with respect to the flow of fluids through said duct member, and said second section having a plurality of passages extending angularly from the upstream to the downstream ends 3 thereof in a direction opposite to said first named passages, whereby fluids flowing through said section passages are directed inwardly and oppositely in said duct and are given a twirling as well as a mixing action upon exit from said duct member.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which said passages are defined by vertically extending fiat walls extending angularly in opposite directions on opposite sides of said partition.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 in which said partition and said walls are formed from an acoustically deadening material.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which said duct member is lined with acoustically deadening material.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which said partition and walls are formed in one piece.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which transversely extending bafile means at the upstream end of said duct member provide for assisting in said twirling and mixing action and inhibiting dead-air spaces in said upstream end.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 in which the ends of the Walls terminate flush with the outer sides of the respective outermost walls, and the ends of the passages in each section terminate short of the downstream end of said duct member to assist in said twirling and mixing action.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,865,677 7/ 1932 Cheyney. 1,897,649 2/1933 Good 1815O 2,484,827 10/ 1949 Harley 18170 XIR 2,891,576 6/1959 Kennedy. 2,970,531 2/1961 Curran. 3,094,189 6/1963 Dean 181--5O XR 3,111,191 11/1963 Bachert 181-56 3,224,842 12/1965 Manske 181-56 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 163,906 7/1955 Australia.

719,322 4/1942 Germany. 1,090,466 10/1960 Germany.

ROBERT S. WARD, Jr., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

